Nic O’Riley opens up about personal tragedy, forgiveness and healing

Talking about your own day-to-day life comes with the territory when you work on-air in Breakfast radio. But some stories are so deeply personal and harrowing, it takes a special kind of courage to share them.

Recently, bay 93.9 Geelong Breakfast co-host Nic O’Riley talked openly on-air about the moment he unexpectedly came face to face with the person responsible for his brother’s death.

Thirty years ago, Nic’s brother Damien was killed by a drunk driver, who was jailed over the accident.

Nic says for a long time, he carried a burning anger that he thought would never leave him.

Gently encouraged by his co-host Mill, Nic shared with listeners how – 25 years after Damien’s death – he came face to face with the man responsible in a Darwin food court.

Caught off-guard, Nic walked away. But the man found Nic on Facebook and messaged him.

Nic told listeners: “My psych said ‘This is it, mate. Go and sit down with him and have it out.’”

“And so we did. We organised it. And I sat down across the table from someone that I’d hated for so long and heard his side of it, and heard his apology.”

“And the thing that stood out to me too was that he said ‘I didn’t wake up that day and thought I was going to kill my mate.’”

“And that was amazing to hear.”

They ended up talking for three hours.

After years of carrying hatred and tension, it was like a weight had fallen off Nic’s shoulders.

“In the end, I stood up and hugged him and said ‘It’s alright.’”

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Nic said on LinkedIn that if his story helps even one person carrying pain, anger or loss, then sharing it is worth it.

“Last month on Bay 93.9, I shared a very personal conversation with Mill and the Bay family about grief, forgiveness and healing.”

“I’m incredibly lucky to work with someone who creates space for honest and vulnerable chats like this.”